Test of Time
by jewel21
Summary: When someone close to Bosco is brutally murdered, he takes it upon himself to track down the killer, but has no idea he's in way over his head.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Test of Time (1/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Test of Time by Jewel21  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
Monday Night  
  
  
The loud thumping bass and electronic sounds of the techno beat were the only sounds heard as the young man sat in his dinky apartment. The gray, chipped walls stared back at him bleakly, highlighted only by the glow of the television sitting in the corner of the room on a wooden crate, the sound muted. The soft glow of the picture created different patterns of light in the otherwise dark room. The occupant sat on an old mattress on the floor that served as a couch during the day and a bed at night, a half-empty bottle of beer on the floor beside him. He looked at his watch, noting the time, and knew that he had to leave soon - he had work to do. He slowly rose from his seat to flick off the television set when a knock at the front door interrupted him. Surprise registered on the young man's face. Wondering whom it could possibly be, he walked over to the door, a frown on his face. He quickly looked through the peephole, recognizing the two figures standing before him. Surprised, he opened the door, curiosity strewn across his features. "Hey," he said nervously as he took in his visitors. "What are you guys doing here? I'm just about to head out - " He began to say before one of the two men pushed him back into his apartment.  
  
  
"Change of plans, Charlie." He said calmly as his partner closed the door behind him, sliding the dead bolt into place.   
  
  
"Guys, what... " He said, trailing off when he noticed the black leather gloves adorning the hands of both the men.   
  
  
"Boss isn't happy, Charlie. He's not happy at all." The man said with a shake of his head.   
  
  
"Guys... Jase, Kenny, I can explain." Charlie said, his voice trembling and bordering on hysteria.  
  
  
"What did you think was gonna happen, huh, Charlie? What, you think that you could just fucking rat on one of your own to the cops and get away with it?"  
  
  
"How did ... uh, what are you guys talking about?" Charlie asked, looking around his apartment, desperately seeking a way out.  
  
  
"Don't fucking play stupid with us, Charlie. He knows everything. What, you expect him to just believe that the cops came across the deal? You cost him a lot of money and he's not happy. He's not happy at all." Jase said, his calm voice carrying eerily over the sound of the music continuing to blare out of the speakers.  
  
  
"It's time to suffer the consequences of your actions, Charlie." The second man said, pulling a rope out of his bag. Charlie's gaze locked on the sinister looking weapon being drawn taunt between the man's hands.   
  
  
"Guys, guys look, we can work this out." Charlie pleaded desperation in his voice as he took in the noose. "Come on, man," he said as he saw them approach. "Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He began to say before attempting to run away. He pushed by the first assailant before the second one pulled a stun gun out of his black leather jacket, and applied it on the young man. He fell to the ground. He tried to struggle but was unable to move as he felt his body being lifted off of the hard, cold floor. He felt the rope, the noose being slipped over his head. Hovering in the limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness, he was aware of being lifted once more. Seconds later, the lack of oxygen to his lungs jolted him awake. He struggled feebly against the rope, feeling it bite into his skin. He legs swayed in the air, trying to find some kind of purchase but to no avail. His body felt on fire, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. He noticed his two assailants observing him. Eventually, he stopped struggling, his body relaxing. They stared at the body swaying grotesquely in the dimly lit room. Then, they quickly opened the door and left, closing it firmly behind them.  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
  
The smaller of the two assailants pulled out his cell phone as they quickly made their way back to their car. "It's done." Jase said as soon as he heard the phone being picked up.  
  
  
"Are you sure?" The man on the other end asked. "Did anyone see you?"  
  
  
"No. There was nobody around. It went off without a hitch. Nobody will ever suspect it's anything but a suicide."  
  
  
"Good." The man's cool voice said as he digested the news. "Now its time for phase two." Then the line went dead.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
Wednesday Night  
  
  
The shrill sound of the telephone awoke the young man from his drug-induced slumber. He wasn't sure how long the phone had been ringing before it had finally penetrated his muddled brain. He groaned, reaching out for the phone blindly, his eyes still closed, trying to hold on to the last vestiges of sleep. Finally, his hand came into contact with the phone and he put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?" He mumbled his voice muffled from the pillow his face was snugly cradled against.   
  
  
"Well, it's about time, I've only been calling you for the past half hour." The shrill and irritated voice said, causing him to wince and roll over.   
  
  
"Mom." He said as he stretched and looked at the clock. It's glowing red numbers registering 9:02 p.m.   
  
  
"Are you still sleeping? It's after nine." His mother said exasperated.   
  
  
"I know, I work nights now remember? At the convenience store." He said as he stumbled out of bed trying to locate his jeans among the mess of clothes and pizza boxes littering the floor.  
  
  
"Are you sure that's all you're doing?" His mother asked, doubt and suspicion marring her voice.   
  
  
"Yes, mom. God, how many times do I have to keep telling you?" He said. Ever since the 'incident' he'd been trying to lay low and not attract attention. "So, have you heard from you know who?" He asked trying to locate his shirt and keys. He was going to be late if he didn't hurry.  
  
  
"He came by a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't heard from him since." His mother told him.   
  
  
"Oh, yeah?" He asked only semi-interested. "What did he say?"  
  
  
"Not much, I didn't actually give him a chance to speak..." She said, trailing off.   
  
  
"Oh?" He said as he opened his front door and retrieved the paper that had been sitting out there since the early morning hours. "So, how's the business going?" He asked her as he skimmed the headlines looking for anything that struck his interest. He almost dismissed it for a second but for some unknown reason, he felt drawn to it. He read the headline, "Young Man Found Hung in Apartment." As he continued to read, he came across the man's name, which had been released, and paled.   
  
  
"Hello? Hello, are you still there?" His mother asked her voice cutting through his panic-filled brain.   
  
  
"Uh, yeah, ma. Look I have to let you go. I'm late for work. I'll call you back later." He told her as he quickly hung up, not waiting for a response. (Shit!) He thought to himself, his panic mounting by the second. Charlie's death was not an accident and he knew it. (I gotta do something) he thought to himself as he quickly got up, knocking over the kitchen chair in the process. He briefly thought about telling his mother but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't want to get her involved or put her in any kind of danger. He considered going to the police but quickly dismissed that idea as well. He had never trusted cops and knew that they wouldn't care about a petty dealer like himself. Then it hit him. He knew it was a long shot and his brother and him weren't exactly on speaking terms, but he was his only hope. He knew that regardless of how disappointed and pissed his brother was with him at the moment, he would do everything he could to protect him. It was how he'd always been towards him. He considered calling him but decided he would rather do it in person. He grabbed his car keys and ran to the front door swinging it open. He quickly locked it and made his way to his car. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks.   
  
  
"Going someplace?" Jase said and he stared at him. (Shit, I'm too late!) The man thought to himself. Before he could act, the second man pulled out his stun gun and struck him with it. Then, everything went black.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *   
  
  
They parked the car across the street and dragged the man into the park, making sure that no one was watching before dragging him under some trees. "What were his instructions?" Kenny asked his partner as he took in the still form lying on the snow by his feet.   
  
  
"Boss says to make it look like a mugging gone bad. He doesn't want to attract suspicion by having two suicides in two days."  
  
  
Kenny nodded before proceeding to kick the man on the ground, who was just starting to regain consciousness. Both men started to kick and jump on him. They punched and hit him, his blood smearing on the black gloves they wore. "Okay, enough." Kenny said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out the small beretta, the moonlight reflecting off of the cold steel. However, approaching voices interrupted them.   
  
  
"Shit!" Jase said looking down at the man lying before them.   
  
  
"Grab his wallet, and take his money, Jase." Kenny said as they heard a group of people coming dangerously close. Jase briefly considered just shooting him anyway but decided against it. The man was as good as dead and he didn't want to attract unnecessary attention. He quickly hid him further into the shrubs.   
  
  
"Leave him." Kenny hissed. "He's as good as dead anyway." He said staring down and the bloody and beaten body at his feet.  
  
  
"Come on. Let's go." Jase said as they quickly ran to their car and took off, leaving the body behind.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *   
  
  
"Thank God this night is over." Bosco declared as he practically ran into the locker room, his partner lagging behind.  
  
  
"Why, you have a hot date or something?" Faith asked as she opened her locker door.  
  
  
"The only date I have is with my television set." Bosco told her as he quickly pulled on his shirt and grabbed his jacket. Things were still ackward between the two of them since the incident with Hobart. It had been a few weeks since it had happened and Bosco was seeing one of the department shrinks under the Lieutenant's orders. Since then, Bosco had his ups and downs but Faith was relieved to see that he appeared to be getting better.  
  
  
"You need a lift home?" Bosco asked, as he slammed his locker shut and turned to face his partner.   
  
  
"Nah, thanks for the offer though." She told him as she slipped on her jacket.   
  
  
"See you tomorrow." He called out as he quickly exited the locker room and left the precinct, making his way to his Mustang. He got behind the wheel and drove home as fast as he could, eager to sit down in front of the television and relax. He made his way home in record time and quickly jumped out of his car. He looked at his watch, noting that it was after one, and wondered what was on TV. He could hear the phone ringing from the hall and quickly pulled his keys out trying to locate the right one before the phone could stop ringing. He wondered who the hell could be calling him at this time of night. He finally got the door open and sprinted for the phone, the keys still dangling in the open door.   
  
  
"Hello?" He said breathlessly. He couldn't understand what the person was saying on the other end. "Hello?" He said again, "I can't understand you."  
  
  
"Oh, Maurice." The voice said on the other end.   
  
  
"Mom?" Bosco asked, his voice uncertain. "Mom what's wrong?" He asked, panic gripping him. A hundred different scenarios running through his head. What if his mother's new boyfriend hit her or what if something had happened at the bar? He was so preoccupied with his thoughts; he almost missed her response.   
  
  
"Oh, Maurice," His mother said sobbing into the phone. "Maurice, its Mikey." 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Test of Time (2/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I have absolutely no medical background whatsoever, so please don't flame me if anything is off :)  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
  
Bosco's footsteps on the white-tiled floor resounded throughout the nearly deserted hallway of the hospital as he quickly made his way towards the nurse's station. At this hour of the night there were only a few nurses and orderlies to be seen. He turned the corner towards the nurse's station and saw his mother ahead of him speaking to several police officers. Bosco's mind raced a mile a minute. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened. His mother had been too frantic on the phone and he wasn't able to get much out of her. He was surprised she was able to tell him the name of the hospital his younger brother had been taken to. He quickly walked towards the police officers eager to find some answers to the many questions going off in his head.  
  
"Mom." He said softly, his voice easily traveling the few feet to her in the empty hallway.  
  
"Oh, Maurice." His mother said, when she saw him, instantly bursting into tears once more.   
  
"And you are...?" One of the officers said as he turned towards him. His name tag read Officer Stevens.   
  
"Officer Maurice Boscorelli of the 55th Precinct. The man you brought in is my brother. What the hell happened?" He asked them as he tried to comfort his mother.   
  
"I'm Officer Stevens and this is Officer Kobawski. We received a call from dispatch at approximately 11:45 p.m. Two -" The officer began to say before he was interrupted.   
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Boscorelli? I'm Dr. Lawandi." The man said as the approached the small group gathered in the hall. "I'm the doctor who treated your son."  
  
"Oh, doctor. How is he?" Angela asked her voice a mixture of hope, fear and dread.   
  
"Mr. Boscorelli was brought in with very serious injuries. He's in critical but stable condition at the moment. He has four broken ribs, a shattered pelvis, a fractured wrist and internal bleeding. We brought him into surgery and have done the best we can. He's in a coma as we speak but he can wake up at any given moment."  
  
"Is he going to -" Bosco began before the doctor cut him off.   
  
"It's too soon to tell anything at the moment. As I've said, he's in stable but critical condition. You can see him if you'd like."  
  
"Ma, you go ahead. I'm going to talk to the police officers some more." He told her. He watched her walk off with the doctor before turning back to the two officers before him. "Okay, now what the hell happened?" He asked them.   
  
"Some kids were walking through the park on their way home when they came across him. One of them called it in on their cell phone."  
  
"Any suspects?" Bosco asked.   
  
Officer Stevens shook his head. "Nope, none of them saw anything. It looked as though the victim, your brother, had been there for at least a couple of hours."   
  
"He was lucky those kids came along when they did." Officer Kobawski quipped.   
  
"Yeah, " Bosco said his voice bitter and filled with sarcasm, "Mikey was really lucky tonight. I'm assuming that this is drug-related?"  
  
"Um, no, not to our knowledge. What makes you think that?"  
  
"He was arrested a few weeks ago for drug-possession." Bosco said, informing the police officers.  
  
"Well, it looks like your brother was simply mugged. His body was found out in Central Park, his cash is missing although his ID was still on him. We think that perhaps whoever did this to your brother was interrupted in the process. We'll know more when your brother regains consciousness." Officer Stevens told him, his eyes sympathetic.   
  
Bosco quickly looked away, "Yeah," He mumbled under his breath, " If he wakes up."  
  
"Could you let us know when he does? We're going to have a lot of questions to ask him." Officer Kobawski said, his manner cooler than that of his partner. Bosco simply nodded to them as they got ready to leave his body too numb to do much else. Disbelief at what had happened tonight was causing him to move and think as though he was underwater. He quietly watched the two officers leave. Bosco stood in the empty hall for several moments before he was able to make his legs move. He slowly walked down the deserted hallway in the direction his mother had gone. It was time to see his brother.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *   
  
  
Bosco could hear the various beeps and hisses of the equipment Mikey was hooked up to as he entered the small hospital room. He saw his mother sitting by his bed. Her sobs tore at him. "Mom." He said as he quickly moved towards her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He stared at the man lying in the bed before him, the man who was supposedly his brother, and could barely recognize him.   
  
"Oh, Maurice." His mother wailed. "I don't understand, why would anybody hurt my baby? Mikey was always such a good boy. Everybody loved him. What kind of animal would do this to him? Why?" She asked, breaking down even harder, gasping for breath.   
  
"I don't know, ma." Bosco said quietly as he took in his brother's still form. (But I'm definitely going to find out.) He vowed to himself. He would not allow those perps to run around free and unpunished. They were going to pay for what they had done. He'd make sure of it.  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *   
  
  
The sunlight seeping into the room was the first thing that filtered into Bosco's sleep-ridden brain as he opened his eyes, taking in the surroundings of the room he was in. He noted that his mother had finally surcomed to exhaustion and was sleeping in the chair closest to Mikey. Then he looked at Mikey and noticed one more thing; Mikey's eyes were starting to open. He quickly rose out of the uncomfortable chair he'd been sitting in for the past several hours and made his way to his brother's side. "Mikey?" He asked uncertainly, his voice breaking the silence of the room.  
  
"Maurice, what is it?" His mother asked as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Go get a doctor, Mikey's starting to wake up." He told her as he leaned over his baby brother. "Now!" He said when she failed to move. She quickly rose out of her chair and ran out of the room.  
  
"Mikey?" Bosco asked as his brother's eyes finally focused on his face. "Mikey, I need to know what happened. I need you to tell me who did this to you. Can you do that, huh Mikey?" Mikey focused on his big brother standing before him. He could feel the darkness creeping into the corner of his vision, and knew that he had to think quickly. He mouthed the name a few times, trying to get his tongue to obey his brain. Finally, he succeeded, and the lone word rolled off of his tongue and made its way to his brother's ears. "Krychek." Then, the darkness overpowered him and he once again slipped into unconsciousness. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Test of Time (3/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
  
Krychek woke up from his peaceful slumber ecstatic in the knowledge that two of his problems had been 'fixed' without a hitch. So, when he turned on the morning news, he was livid to hear the news anchor reporting that a man was found in Central Park badly beaten and left for dead after being mugged the previous night. The reporter went on to say that the man was found by several passerby's and rushed to hospital where he was now in critical condition and in a coma. When the reporter was done, he quickly muted the sound and picked up the phone, angrily punching in the numbers.  
  
  
"I know." The voice said immediately on the other end, not waiting for him to speak.  
  
  
"I thought you said you handled it?" He said, furious.   
  
  
"We were interrupted before we could finish. He looked dead. We left him hidden, we couldn't know - "   
  
  
"I don't want your fucking pathetic excuses!" The man screamed over the phone, in strong contrast to his usual calm demeanor. "Fix it today." He told him before disconnecting the line.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
  
It was late afternoon when the two men slowly made their way down the hospital corridor, speaking in hushed tones. They were halfway down the hall when they saw a man donned in a lab coat quickly exiting one of the rooms. They instantly recognized the man as he quickly turned the corner and disappeared from sight, knowing that he wasn't a doctor. The could hear the machine flat-lining from where they were standing and realized they were too late. They quickly turned off into another wing and left, trying not to attract any attention, just as a team of doctors and nurses came running down the hall they had just vacated.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Angela Boscorelli and her eldest son were making their way from the hospital cafeteria, two cups of hot coffee in their hands, when they turned the corner leading to Mikey's room. As Angela Boscorelli saw the team of doctors and nurses rushing down the hall, the cup of coffee she was carrying dropped from her hand, its hot contents splattering all over the white floor. She fell to the ground, a cry escaping from her, instinctively knowing that her son was dead. 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Test of Time (4/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
  
The mourners gathered in silence before the black casket as the priest recited the last rites. Among those gathered were Bosco, his mother and her closest friends, Faith, Sully and Ty. As the priest recited from the Bible held in his hands, Bosco noticed a lone figure approach the group and felt his jaw clench in anger. He felt his hands clench by his side and willed himself to remain calm until the service was over. The casket containing the remains of his brother was gently lowered into the ground and he automatically found himself thanking everyone for showing up, their words of comfort and condolences doing nothing to ease the void and anger inside of him. He waited until everyone had left, with the exception of Faith and his mother who were talking quietly together a few yards away, before approaching the man. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Bosco asked, anger tainting his words as he tried to keep his temper in check.   
  
  
"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm paying my last respects to my son." The man said as he looked into the stormy eyes of his eldest.   
  
  
"What, all of a sudden you decided to grow a conscious? You never gave a thought to us in the past. Now, all of a sudden you decide that you want to be a father? You're only 27 fucking years too late dad!" Bosco shouted at his father. "You never cared about us. You were never there for us when we needed you and when you were around we wished that you weren't because all you did was make our lives a living hell. You did nothing but screw up all of our lives. You weren't happy just messing up yours; no you had to make sure that you destroyed everyone else's in the process. Because, you weren't satisfied until everyone was as unhappy as you."   
  
  
Mr. Boscorelli shook his head at his son before speaking. "Sure, Maurice. Blame me for everything that's wrong in your life." His father said, staring at his eldest in disdain. "How about the fact that you helped to kill your brother?" The accusation hung in the air and quickly caught the attention of Faith and Angela as they took in the confrontation.   
  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bosco hissed but he had visibly paled at what his father had just said.   
  
  
"Oh come on, Maurice," His father said, his voice filled with scorn. "You're a mighty big police officer, saving the world and all that crap. Why don't you try using your brain for once, huh? You ever think that if Mikey hadn't been arrested that night none of this would have happened? Mikey was terrified after he was released, he was trying to lay low but he knew that there could be a fallout. Congratulations son, you helped to kill your own brother."  
  
  
"What the hell is going on here?!" Angela Boscorelli demanded as she ran towards her son and ex-husband, Faith quickly in tow. "Mikey was mugged." She told him.   
  
  
"Oh, come on Angela, why don't you open your eyes?" He said, still not taking his gaze off of his son.   
  
  
"Maurice?" Angela said, taking in her son's demeanor. She could see that he had visibly paled, and a suspicious feeling overcame her.   
  
  
"Don't you dare accuse me of killing Mikey!" Bosco shouted, his face now red with anger. "If you hadn't fucked us all up, Mikey would never have gotten into drugs in the first place to try and forget all the shit you put us through growing up. So don't you fucking dare accuse me of anything!" Bosco yelled, lunging towards his father. Faith stepped between the two, trying to intervene, just as Bosco's fist swung back to hit his father. Faith managed to move away just in time, the blow connecting with the air. Bosco visibly paled as the implications of what had just happened hit him. He had almost hit Faith; he had almost hit a woman. They stared at each other for several seconds, shock and surprise registering on both of their faces.   
  
  
"Well, well son. Looks like you're a lot more like your old man than you like to admit." The taunting words coming from Mr. Boscorelli caused their gaze to be broken. Bosco quickly looked at them all before turning around and making his way out of the cemetery.  
  
  
"Get the hell out of here, you goddamn son of a bitch before I call the police and have you physically removed. You have a lot of nerve coming here today." Angela said, glaring at her ex-husband before turning on her heels and going off in search of her son, leaving Faith and Mr. Boscorelli standing alone by the newly dug grave. She looked at him for a few moments, disgust clearly written on her features before he finally turned around and left. She watched him get into his car and take off before turning back. She could see Angela Boscorelli as she quickly made her way towards her son, who was at the other end of the cemetery.  
  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
  
"Maurice. Maurice Boscorelli." His mother called out as she tried to catch up to her son. "Hold it right there." Her stern voice said, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He turned around and looked into her eyes, seeing the unanswered questions and suspicion reflected in them. "Is that true?"  
  
"Mom -" Bosco began before he was cut off.   
  
"Is what your father said true? Was your brother killed because of what happened when he was arrested? Answer me, dammit!" She screamed at him, her worst fears coming to light. Accusation clearly reflected in her eyes.   
  
"I don't know." Bosco said, pain tingeing his words. He knew Mikey had given him a name before he had died and that it was a definite possibility, but he didn't have much time to concentrate on it until now, being too busy with the funeral arrangements. And, truth be told, he was scared. Scared that maybe it was true, that he was guilty of helping to kill his own brother. Angela took in the guilt and uncertainty strewn across his face and took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak once more.   
  
"God, it's true, isn't it? You're responsible for my son's death." She cried, backing away in disbelief at what she had just learned. "I ... I -" She said before turning away in horror. She quickly made her way out of the cemetery; unable to deal with the consequences of what she had just learned. She left her son standing alone, his head hung in shame, unshed tears making his vision blur as he watched her leave.  
  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
  
Faith slowly made her way to her partner who was standing by himself in the middle of the cemetery. "Bos?" She asked as she slowly approached him. "Bos, what happened?" She asked, clearly concerned.   
  
"Nothing." He said softly as he stuck his hands in his coat pockets and made his way towards his car.   
  
"Bosco, look, I know how hard this must be for you. If you need someone to -" Faith began before she was interrupted by her very pissed off partner.   
  
"No you don't know, Faith. You don't fucking know anything! I helped kill my brother. If I hadn't arrested Mikey none of this would have happened. My mother hates me and wants nothing to do with me. How the fuck would you possibly know what I am going through? You don't know anything about me, my life, or what I'm going through so stop fucking patronizing me. Just leave me the hell alone!" He said, storming out of the cemetery, leaving her standing alone and dumbfounded in the bitter cold. 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Test of Time (5/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
  
Faith watched Bosco as he drove the squad car towards a convenience store where an attempted robbery was taking place. It had been two weeks since Mikey's death and the scene at the funeral. Faith had tried to bring up what had happened on several occasions but to no avail. Aside from his apologizing for almost hitting her, she hadn't been able to get him to open up and confide in her. Seeing him like this was tearing her up inside but she knew better than to push her partner. Bosco would confide in her only when he was ready to. She'd just have to be patient and wait until that day came. She continued to watch him as he careened around the corner, the RMP's tires squealing in the process. Faith noted that he looked tired and doubted very much that he had been getting any sleep in the last fourteen days. He never mentioned his mother and she knew that they must not be speaking to one another. Faith had been worried when her partner had come back to work after only five days off. She had even spoken to the Lieutenant, asking him if he felt that Bosco was ready to be back at work full-time in light of all the recent events. However, the Lieutenant said he was making sure that Bosco was still seeing the department psychologist on a regular basis. According to the shrink, he felt that Bosco was dealing with everything remarkably well. That's what worried Faith. She felt that Bosco was simply feeding the shrink the words he wanted to hear to get him off his back. She knew Bosco was up to something, that he wasn't telling her everything, but she couldn't get him to open up to her. She was jolted out of her reverie as the squad car jerked to a stop. If she hadn't been wearing her seat belt, she would have bashed her head on the windshield. "Jeez, Bos." She said as she quickly undid her seat belt.   
  
  
"Sorry." He mumbled as he quickly bolted out of the car. "Let's go." He told her as he made his way to the front of the convenience store. He looked through the door, noting that there was only one perp. Without calling in for backup, or waiting for him and Faith to decide what their best approach should be, he opened the door, gun drawn out in front of him. "Police, drop your weapon." He said as he stepped into the store. Faith, who was momentarily stunned, quickly walked in behind him, gun drawn in front of her as well. Faith could tell that the perp in front of her was clearly on something, his blood-shot eyes and dilated pupils giving him away.   
  
  
"Look," Faith said, her voice ringing throughout the store, which fortunately was deserted with the exception of the storekeeper. "Just put your weapon down. Back up is on its way." She lied as she took in the panicked youth in front of her, noting that the kid couldn't be more than 21 years old. She could see him begin to panic, his eyes darting around trying to look for a means of escape. She noticed Bosco before her, his jaw clenched, and his demeanor tense, his grip firm on his gun, his finger hovering near the trigger. "Look," Faith spoke once more, trying to diffuse the situation before anything unnecessary had to happen. "Just put your weapon down and nothing bad has to happen, okay?" She said. She held her breath waiting for his reaction and exhaled in relief when she saw the youth slowly lower the weapon on the ground and surrender, raising his arms above his head. "Kick your gun towards us, slowly." Faith told him. As soon as he did, Bosco jumped on the perp and quickly handcuffed his hands behind him, and pushed him out the front door towards the RMP, leaving Faith behind to talk to the storekeeper. He too, had noticed his blood-shot eyes and had some questions he wanted to ask him in private.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
He slammed the kid onto the hood of the car and leaned over him, speaking into his ear. "What the fuck are you on, huh? You just using or are you dealing too? Answer me you little prick!" Bosco shouted as he turned the perp around to stare into his face, his hand firmly on his throat. "Do you work for Krychek too, huh? Who is he? Where can I find the bastard? Tell me." Bosco hissed at the perp, who had no idea what the police officer was talking about. The perp's silence infuriated Bosco who started to hit him. "Talk to me you son of a bitch!" Bosco yelled as he swung his fist making contact with the kid's face, the loud crack that resounded and the pain that flared up in his hand only making him feel better. "Tell me about Krychek!" Bosco shouted as he continued to hit the young man. The blood smeared onto his hands, giving him a deep sense of satisfaction. It was at that moment that Faith came running out of the store, having seen what was happening through the store window. She quickly spun her partner around, who hadn't heard her coming because he was too wrapped up in what he was doing. He slammed backwards against the car, confusion crossing his face. He quickly looked at the bloody face of the man beside him and into the disgusted and furious eyes of his partner. He could feel the bile rise up as what he had just done finally penetrated his brain. He got up, trembling slightly, and looked into his partner's eyes.   
  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked him as she took in the scene before her, disbelief and disgust marring her words. "What is going on with you, Bosco? And don't think about lying to me. I have a right to know, too. For the past couple of weeks, you've been jumping at all the drug-related cases and staking out all the hot spots. I'm not an idiot, you know. If there's something going on, something you know about Mikey's death then tell me, please. Let me help." She said, her voice desperate. Bosco looked at her a few moments, wondering whether or not he should tell her. She saw him open his mouth and held her breath. He promptly shut it, and turned away from her, grabbing the perp and leading him to the back of the squad car. "You coming?" He asked, not waiting for a reply as he quickly got into the driver's seat and shut the door. Seconds later, the engine started. Faith stood outside the car in frustration for a few seconds before reluctantly opening the passenger door and sliding in beside him.  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Faith and Bosco were sitting in silence at the precinct, filling out their reports, when his voice broke the silence. "Before he died, I asked Mikey who did that to him." Bosco said, his voice breaking the uncomfortable tension between them. Faith quickly put down her pen and turned to stare at her partner who was looking at her. She waited for him to continue speaking. "He regained consciousness for a brief moment... ma went to get a doctor and me and him were alone in the room together." Bosco paused, the memory clearly painful for him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and composed himself before continuing. "It took him awhile to be able to get it out but he finally did. Then he lost consciousness again. By the time ma and the doctor had come into the room he was already out." Bosco said looking down at the ground. Faith, who had been holding her breath the entire time, finally let it out. The suspense was killing her.   
  
  
"What did he say?" She asked, her voice breaking the silence. Bosco looked up, interrupted from his memory.   
  
  
"Krychek." He said, looking at Faith.  
  
  
"Krychek?" She repeated quietly. "I've never heard of Krychek." She said honestly as she stared back at him. "Have you run his name through the system?"  
  
  
"Yeah," He said looking away from her. "I did it a few weeks ago but I can't find anything on him."  
  
  
"He must be new." She mused out loud more to herself than to him. "Bosco, you know I'd love to help you if you'd let me. I liked Mikey, too. I want to help bring down his killer. Mikey might not have been a perfect angel but he wasn't a bad guy, he was just a little lost." Faith told her partner.   
  
  
"I know." Bosco said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Okay," He told her. "I could use someone's help, actually." He admitted. "I haven't exactly been successful lately."  
  
"Did you try to talk to that kid? What's his name, the one we made a deal with? The one that later lead us to Mikey?" Faith said carefully.  
  
  
"I'm an idiot." Bosco said, shaking his head at his own stupidity.  
  
  
"Bos, you've been through a lot lately. It's understandable. Don't beat yourself up over it." She said when she saw his expression. "Besides, that's what I'm here for, right?" She asked.   
  
"Yeah. Thanks, Faith." Bosco said quietly.  
  
  
"No problem. I'm gonna run his name through the system and see if I can turn up an address. Who knows, maybe he can help?" Faith said as she quickly turned around, eager to start researching.  
  
  
"Thanks." Bosco said as he got up and walked to the coffee machine in the corner of the room. He felt better knowing that Faith was going to help him track down Krychek. The sooner he could find the son of a bitch, the sooner he could avenge his brother's death and hopefully alleviate some of his own guilt.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
An hour later, Faith placed some papers in front of him. "Did you find an address?" He asked her, looking up from his own work.   
  
  
"Yeah, but that's not all." She told him, a frown creasing her brow as she slip a photocopy of a newspaper clipping in front of him. He quickly scanned the small blurb, his face pale.   
  
"Hung?" He repeated slowly, not quite believing it.   
  
  
"It was finally called in when one of the neighbors complained about the music being on all night and all afternoon, or else who knows how long it would have taken them to discover him."  
  
  
"When did this happen?" Bosco asked, quietly scanning the article.   
  
  
"Two days before Mikey was mugged." Faith told him softly having already memorized the article.   
  
  
"That's quite a coincidence." Bosco said, his heart sinking.   
  
  
"Yeah." Faith said sarcastically. "A real coincidence."   
  
  
"So, it's true then." Bosco said softly. "My dad was right. I did help kill Mikey."   
  
  
"No, Bos. Don't say that." Faith said, kneeling down before him.   
  
  
"Why not Faith? It's the truth isn't it? I mean that kid was most likely whacked because he struck a deal with us and they probably got Mikey, too. Plus, for all we know, Mikey might have put two and two together and realized that he was next. Maybe he wanted out? Who knows? All I know is if I hadn't been after that kid, none of this would have happened..." Bosco said trailing off.   
  
  
"Bos, for all you know it might be none of those reasons. And even if it was, with Mikey continuing on the path he was on, something like this was going to happen sooner or later." She told him, her heart breaking to see her partner in so much pain and guilt.   
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco said as he got up and pushed back his chair. He had to get out of there. "Are we done the reports?" He asked her as he gathered his things.   
  
  
"Bos, we've been finished the reports for the past hour." She told him as she also gathered her things. Bosco looked at his watch and saw that it read 12:35 am.  
  
  
"Do you need a lift home?" He asked her as they made their way to the locker room.  
  
  
"Nah, I'm good, thanks." She said as she put on her coat and grabbed her backpack.   
  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked as he grabbed his car keys and looked at her.   
  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she walked by him.  
  
  
"Faith." He said as she reached the door and pulled it open. She turned around, waiting for him to finish. "Thanks for everything." He told her, grateful that he had her help.  
  
  
"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, kay?" She smiled as she looked back at him.  
  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he watched her go. He quickly left the precinct and made his way to his car, eager to go home and get some rest. He had a long way to go before catching his brother's killer and he needed his rest if he was going to be able to bring the bastard down. 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Test of Time (6/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
  
  
  
Bosco quickly left the bar in the early hours of the morning. It had been three weeks since he had told Faith about Krychek. Since then, they had been researching on their own and combining their information. Unfortunately, there really wasn't anything to go on so far. He'd started hitting the streets after work and on his days off. Going undercover and trying to talk to peddlers, trying to see if anyone had heard of Krychek. Each time, he came home empty-handed, disappointment and frustration keeping him awake at night. Although he was still able to get to work on time, it was becoming obvious to those around him that he wasn't on his game, that something was wrong. However, for the time being no one had said anything to him and he continued his routine of working during the day and hitting the streets at night. That was until about a week ago. He had been talking to some guy, obviously high on something, and asked him if he had ever heard of the name Krychek. The man had told Bosco about a bar that he and his men sometimes liked to hang out at. Bosco had been frequenting it lately, subtly befriending some of the patrons and seeing what he could find out.   
  
As Bosco left the bar, he hailed a cab, unaware of the two men who had followed him out. They watched him get into the cab and take off. They had been suspicious of him when they had first seen him enter the bar about a week ago. When they had heard him mention Krychek's name tonight, they knew that they had reason to worry. They followed the cab to the man's apartment and watched him get inside. They waited an hour, making sure that he wasn't going anywhere else for the night. They left agreeing to meet in the morning and check out where he worked.  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
They watched him from across the street the next day as he got into his car around 2:00 p.m. "Finally." One of the men said as he started the engine and watched the man climb into his Mustang.   
  
  
"I didn't think this guy ever worked." His friend complained sipping the coffee he had bought a half-hour before in a feeble attempt to warm up, after sitting in the car since 7:00 am.   
  
  
"You'd think this guy could get a decent job with decent hours." The other one complained as he watched the man direct his car into the afternoon traffic. They expertly followed behind at a safe distance, making sure not to be seen.   
  
  
"Where the hell is he going?" The driver asked about twenty minutes later as he saw the blue Mustang turn towards the 55th Precinct. Both men stared at one another, looks of disbelief etched on their features. They turned their car off at the next street corner and waited, hoping that they were wrong. About 45 minutes later, their fears were confirmed when they saw the young man exit the police station in uniform, a blond woman, most likely his partner in tow. They watched them walk towards their squad car and get in, deep in conversation. They waited until they took off before turning to one another. "This isn't good." The driver said to his partner. "This isn't good at all."   
  
  
"This guy's gonna cause us some serious problems. We have to get him to back off somehow."  
  
  
"Do you think the girl is helping him?" The passenger asked as he looked at his colleague.  
  
  
"We've only seen him so far." The other man mused as he stared out the windshield.   
  
  
"We can't take a chance though." The passenger said, "For all we know, she's been digging around too."  
  
  
"Find out what you can about both of them, any weaknesses they might have that can be used to deter them, anything that we can use to persuade them to give up the search for Krychek.   
  
  
"Agreed." The man in the passenger seat said, lost in thought, as his partner started the engine and drove away in the opposite direction the two officers had gone. "This can't go on any longer." He mused to himself.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Do you think he's going to listen?" The smaller of the two men said later that night as he watched the police officer come out of the precinct at approximately 12:00 am. They watched him from across the street, hidden in the nighttime shadows, secure in the knowledge that he could not see them from where he was standing. They saw him slow down as he noticed the white envelope placed on the windshield of his Mustang. The observed him as he read the note that they had placed there, warning him to back off, telling him that there would be consequences if he didn't. They saw him crumple the note up and throw it away but not before looking around slowly, searching for the person or persons who had left the warning. They sank back further into the shadows, never taking their eyes off of their prey.  
  
  
"He's not going to give up." The bigger of the two said as they watched him climb into his car and take off.   
  
  
"If your brother was murdered, would you just drop it?" The other one asked. "What do we know about them?"  
  
  
"His name is Maurice Boscorelli, mother's name is Angela Boscorelli, she owns a bar. The girl's name is Faith Yokas, married to a Fred Yokas. She has two children, Emily and Charlie."  
  
  
"That's good." The smaller one said. "We can definitely use that to our advantage." The two men stared at one another for a long moment.   
  
  
"It's time to take drastic measures." 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Test of Time (7/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Author's Note: Now, I know some people have been wondering whether the character Krychek in my story is the same Krychek from the popular television series The X-Files and the answer to that is no :) Truth is when the name Krychek popped into my head, I remembered it sounded vaguely familiar but couldn't place it for the life of me. That's because I haven't watched The X-Files in about six years :) Anyway, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused and I hope that you continue to enjoy this story.  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been seven weeks since Mikey had died. Bosco had been searching non-stop for Krychek but so far had been unsuccessful in tracking him down. Everyday was spent the exact same way. He worked during the day and tracked down Krychek at night. He'd barely been eating or sleeping since Mikey's death, and he knew that it was starting to reflect not only in his appearance but also in his job performance. So, he was not surprised when at the end of his shift, the Lieutenant called him into his office.   
  
  
"Boscorelli." The Lieutenant said as he held the door open for him.   
  
  
"Lieu, is there a problem?" Bosco asked as the door was shut behind him.   
  
  
"Have a seat, Bosco." The Lieutenant said, sitting down at his desk.  
  
  
"Is something wrong, Lieu?" Bosco asked innocently as he lowered himself into a chair.   
  
  
"Bosco." Lieu said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Bosco, first of all I want to tell you how sorry I am for your loss, I know how hard it must be for you. Losing someone in a senseless crime like that." He paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right words. Bosco watched him the entire time. He had a pretty good idea where the Lieutenant was heading but he decided to wait and see how it played out. "I know you want to work Bosco but I'm worried about you - a lot of people are. You haven't been focused lately, and you haven't been eating or sleeping from the looks of it. I spoke to the department psychologist and he feels -"  
  
  
"I've been seeing the shrink." Bosco said, cutting off the Lieutenant in mid-sentence. "I've been seeing him twice a week since -"  
  
  
"I know, Bosco. He's told me. He's also told me that although you're telling him everything that he wants to hear, he feels that some time off work in light of everything that's happened - first with Hobart and then with your brother couldn't hurt. He feels that you need some time off work and I'm afraid that I have to agree with him on this." Lieu said, staring at the young man before him. "All I'm saying is to take a couple of weeks off. Go on vacation, relax a little and then come back to us - get better." Lieu said, expecting the hotheaded officer to put up a fight. What Bosco said next stunned him.  
  
  
"Sure." Bosco said, quickly agreeing with the Lieutenant.  
  
  
"You're fine with this?"  
  
  
"I think it's a good idea. Truth be told Lieu, I am a little tired and I could use a break. I've been running on adrenaline the past few weeks and I'm worried about that. I don't want to put Faith or anyone else at risk by being off my game." Bosco said. It took the Lieutenant a few moments to register what Bosco had said. "Is that all, Lieu?" Bosco asked, eager to leave the office.  
  
  
"Um ... yes." The Lieutenant said as he got up to lead Bosco to the door. "So," He said when he finally got his voice back, "We'll see you in a couple of weeks then."  
  
  
"Count on it, Lieu." Bosco said as he stepped through the door, glancing at him one last time. He quickly made his way to the locker room and gathered his things keeping an eye out for Faith but not seeing her. As he made his way out of the precinct, he mentally replayed the conversation he'd just had a few minutes ago. Although normally he would be pissed at not being able to work, he was actually happy. He realized that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. With his job out of the way, he was free to search for Mikey's killer. He was interrupted from his thoughts by Faith who was standing by his car waiting for him.  
  
  
"Hey." She called out as she saw him approaching.  
  
  
"Hey." He said, his hands deep in his jacket pockets.   
  
  
"What did Lieu want to speak to you about?" She asked, curious.   
  
  
"Told me to take a couple of weeks off, relax a little." Bosco said as he fished his car keys out of his pocket.  
  
"Maybe that's not such a bad idea." Faith said carefully, not wanting to anger her partner.   
  
  
"Yeah." He said simply, staring back at her.  
  
  
"Yeah?" She questioned as she took in his calm demeanor. "You're not at all upset about this?" She asked incredulously before realization hit her. "Of course you're not." She said. "This is the opportunity you've been waiting for isn't it?" Faith asked, knowing instinctively that she was right. "Now that your job is out of the way you're free to search for Mikey's killer with no distractions."  
  
  
"Faith -" Bosco began before he was cut off.   
  
  
"Bos, have you ever thought about telling the actual cops who are working on Mikey's case about what's going on? Telling them about Krychek, they could probably -"  
  
  
"No, Faith, okay? Because they don't care about Mikey, to them he was just some low life. They don't care that he's dead. As far as they're concerned the case is closed." Bosco said, getting angrier by the minute.  
  
  
"Okay." Faith said trying to appease her partner.   
  
  
"Look Faith, I need to know where you stand." He told her as he gazed at her. "I need to know if you're going to continue to help me or not."   
  
  
Faith reluctantly nodded her head. "Yeah." She said. "I'll continue to see what I can learn while you're gone but promise me one thing, okay? Promise me that you'll be careful." She said, concern for her partner's welfare clearly strewn across her face. Bosco quickly nodded his head.  
  
  
"Don't worry about me." He told her as he opened his car door. "I'll be fine. Thanks for helping." He told her before jumping in his car and taking off, leaving her standing alone in the precinct parking lot.   
  
  
"Yeah." She said as she watched his car disappear down the street. She quickly adjusted her backpack and slowly made her way home, praying that her partner would be careful. 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Test of Time (8/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
  
  
Bosco quickly parked his car in front of his apartment complex. It had been two days since the Lieutenant had insisted that he take some time off of work. Since then, he had been trying to find out everything he could about the man who had so brutally murdered his younger brother. Although he hadn't found out anything worthwhile, most people he tried to befriend either shook their heads when he mentioned the name Krychek, or looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes before denying that they ever head of him and walking away, he felt that it was only a matter of time before he found him. He was just coming back from the precinct, having met Faith after her shift to see what she had been able to find out on her own. Unfortunately, she wasn't any closer to tracking down Krychek then he was. He clenched his jaw in frustration before getting out of his car and quickly made his way into his apartment building to change his clothes. He was planning on frequenting a couple of bars later to see what he could find out.   
  
  
Deep in thought, he pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket. He brought the key up, intending to slip it into the lock, when he stopped abruptly. He stood in front of his apartment in shock for several seconds, noting that his front door was slightly ajar. He knew that he had locked it when he had left the house that morning. He quickly removed his gun and eased the door slowly open. He waited a few minutes, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, trying to see if there was anything or anyone in his apartment. His back against the wall, he stuck his arm through the front door, moving his hand blindly along the wall searching for the light switch. Finally, his hand made contact and his apartment was flooded in light. He took a deep breath before slowly making his way inside, noting that his belongs were strewn all over the place. He briefly considered calling for backup but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't want the added attention or to have to answer the numerous questions they would undoubtedly have once they took a look at his place. He quickly checked each of the rooms, noting that they were all empty. He even went as far as to check all his closets and under his bed. When he realized he was alone, he looked around his apartment, digging through the rubble. He noticed that nothing was actually missing. His apartment had simply been ransacked. The message was clear though; whoever had done this wanted him to know that they knew who he was and where he lived.   
  
  
It took him a moment to notice the white envelope leaning against his telephone. He quickly opened it. He looked at the photograph and felt his jaw clench in anger. It was a picture of his mother serving a client from behind the bar. From the way she was posed, Bosco could tell that she was oblivious to the fact that someone had taken her photograph. He quickly scanned the note, telling him that if he didn't back off something tragic might happen.  
  
  
  
The shrill sound of the telephone caused him to jump. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 12:50 am and wondered who could possibly be calling him at this hour. "Bosco?" Faith asked uncertainly when she heard the phone being picked up but no voice on the other end.   
  
  
"Faith?"  
  
  
"Bosco, look I'm sorry. I know that I promised I'd help you but I can't." She said, her voice trembling ever so slightly.  
  
  
"Why? What happened?" He asked, immediately concerned. He knew it took a lot to scare Faith. He heard her take a deep breath before speaking.  
  
  
"When I got home there was an envelope slipped under my door. Fred was sleeping when I came in so it must have been placed there after he had already gone to bed..." Faith said trailing off.   
  
"What was in the envelope?" Bosco asked his partner. He heard her take in another deep breath before continuing.   
  
  
"They had pictures of Em and Charlie, taken of them at school today playing in the school yard. The note said that I'd better back off unless I want something bad to happen." Faith said trying to keep her voice neutral but Bosco easily picked up on the fear hidden there. "Did you get -" She began before she was cut off.   
  
  
"Yeah, I got an envelope with a picture of ma and a message attached as well, saying basically the same thing yours did." Bosco told her, purposely leaving out the part about his trashed apartment, not wanting to scare her further.  
  
  
"Look, Bosco..." Faith began before trailing off. He waited for her to continue; knowing what she was going to say. "Bosco, I would really love to help you track down Mikey's killer, I would but -"  
  
  
"But you have a family to take care of and their safety and welfare come first." Bosco said, finishing her sentence for her. Faith expected his words to come out angry but noticed that they were full of understanding and concern.  
  
  
"Yeah." She said softly into the receiver. "Look, Bos maybe... maybe you should lay off too for awhile. I'm not telling you to give up looking." She said quickly. "I just think that maybe it would be best to lay low for awhile, you know? Get these people off your back."  
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco heard himself saying. "Yeah that sounds like a good idea. Look, take care of yourself and your kids and be careful, okay? Try to get some sleep. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."  
  
  
"Yeah." Faith said, momentarily stunned by Bosco's lack of resistance. "I'll see you soon." She said and quickly hung up. Bosco stared at the receiver for several minutes before placing it back on its cradle. He replayed the conversation over in his mind as he made his way into the kitchen to get a beer. Although he was planning on staying in tonight, he had no intention of backing down. He was too close. If he was being warned to back down, it meant it would only be a matter of time before he came face to face with Krychek.  
  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
  
Faith checked that the front door was securely locked before going into the kitchen to make herself some chamomile tea, hoping to soothe her frazzled nerves. She thought about the conversation she'd just had with Bosco. She realized he had been too agreeable on the phone and had no intention of dropping his search. She knew she had to do something but didn't know what. She thought briefly about speaking to Lieu but quickly dismissed the idea. She knew that Bosco would only continue to search for Krychek no matter what she did. What she needed was to have someone follow him around and watch out for him -- someone not from the precinct. Of course, she thought to herself. She quickly got up from her seat and made her way to the living room where the Yellow Pages were kept. She skimmed through the pages under "D" until she found what she was looking for. She quickly scanned the list of choices, finally narrowing it down. She would call the detective first thing in the morning. She went to bed shortly afterwards, secure in knowledge that she was taking the necessary measures to keep her partner safe. 


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Test of Time (9/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
  
  
Detective Meyers sat in the seedy bar, his beer untouched before him. He sat hidden in the dark, smoky corner, watching the man at the bar making small talk with the bartender. Although he was too far away to hear what they were talking about, he was able to observe what was going on without attracting any unnecessary attention. He watched the man, his target, down his third beer of the evening and wondered what was being said.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Jase was sitting at the bar, nursing a beer, when he heard the man two seats away talking to the bartender. The three beers he'd had, had loosened his tongue and he was talking the man's ear off. Jase dismissed him as another drunken loser when he heard the man mention the name Krychek and Mikey to the bartender. He waited some more, wondering whether the man was going to say anything more on the subject, but he appeared to have regained his senses and discretion for he quickly shut his mouth. Jase left the bar and made his way to the pay phones lining the wall, giving him a clear view of his target. He punched in the number and waited. "I think we have a problem." Jase said in to the receiver as soon as he heard the line being picked up.  
  
  
"What kind of problem?" The man asked.   
  
  
"There's a guy here. He's asking questions."  
  
  
"What kind of questions?"  
  
  
"He's asking around about Mikey and he mentioned your name."  
  
  
"My name?" Krychek asked in disbelief. "How the hell would this guy know my name?"  
  
  
"I don't know but there's something about his demeanor. It just screams cop." Jase said quietly into the phone.   
  
  
"Well check it out. I want to know who this guy is and fast. Who the hell would be asking around about Mikey? The guy was a loser, people like him get mugged all the time."  
  
  
"I'll look into it. Get some of my sources on it." Jase said, quickly disconnecting the line. He made a few necessary calls and made his way back to the bar. He ordered another drink and watched the man out of the corner of his eye.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
An hour later, he saw the man get up and head towards the exit. He was just about to follow him when his cell phone rang causing him to become distracted. "Yeah." He said into the phone, angry with himself for having lost his target.  
  
  
"It's me. We have a problem." His friend said.   
  
  
"What kind of problem?"  
  
  
"We ran a background check on Mikey. It's not good news. His older brother, Maurice Boscorelli is a cop."  
  
  
"A cop?" Jase asked incredulously. "You gotta be kidding me."  
  
  
" 'Fraid not." The other man said grimly.  
  
  
"Do you have a picture of him?"  
  
  
"Yeah."   
  
  
"Describe him." Jase listened carefully while his informant described Mikey's brother, certain that it was the same man who was asking questions earlier.   
  
  
"Do you have an address for me?"   
  
  
The man recited it and Jase quickly scrawled it down on a cocktail napkin. As soon as he finished, he disconnected the line and called Krychek, filling him in on the latest news.   
  
  
"We have to take care of the problem." Krychek calmly said once he'd heard the news.   
  
  
"Consider it done." Jase said, quickly disconnecting the line. 


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Test of Time (10/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
Author's Note: Yes I know this chapter is short, but it needed to get done. I should have posted it at the same time that I posted Chapter 9 but I didn't :( Anyway, the last two chapters will be longer, I promise :) Hope you guys are still reading and enjoying this story. Thanks for all of your reviews, they've meant a lot and have helped me to continue wanting to write this story. And now, onto Chapter 10 :)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sound of the television finally penetrated Bosco's brain, as he lay sprawled out on his couch asleep. He squinted at the VCR and saw that it was 9:00 p.m. He yawned and stretched before rising and making his way towards the bathroom. He washed his face and gathered his car keys, getting ready to go out and continue his search for Krychek. He quickly locked his front door and stepped out into the cool night air. Deep in thought about Mikey and all the things he still had to accomplish, he failed to notice that he wasn't alone. It was only when he got to his car that he was aware of two men grabbing him from behind. Shit! He thought to himself as he struggled against them. He swung his body around and his fist made contact with one of them but before he could do anything further, the second man pulled out his stun gun and effectively used it on him. Bosco collapsed on the ground, hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness. He noticed the two men looking around quickly, making sure that they hadn't been seen, before lifting him and dumping him into the trunk of their car. From his position, he could just make out the full moon shining above him before the trunk was closed and he was plunged into darkness. Several minutes later, he was plunged into his own darkness, as he finally lost consciousness.  
  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
  
Detective Meyers watched the whole exchange from his stakeout spot. He waited until the car containing Maurice Boscorelli was almost two blocks away before pulling his own unmarked car into the nighttime traffic. He followed behind from a safe distance, never taking his eyes off of the car. He reached blindly for his cell phone and quickly dialed the number that Faith Yokas had given him to get in touch with her should anything happen but cursed when the number wouldn't go through. He took his eyes away from his prey for a brief second and saw that his battery wasn't charged. He silently cursed himself before glancing up once more, making contact with his target. I'll just have to call it in when we get to where ever the hell it is we're going, he thought to himself. He only hoped that by that time it wouldn't be too late. 


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Test of Time (11/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
  
  
Detective Meyers followed the car until it finally came to a halt in front of an empty, rundown warehouse. He watched them from halfway down the street, having turned off his headlights long ago. A few seconds later, he saw the industrial garage door open, and the car and its occupants entered inside. He watched as the door slowly closed, leaving him alone. He cut the engine and waited a few minutes, making sure that the occupants weren't planning on emerging anytime soon. Satisfied that they had finally reached their destination, he started the car up and went in search of a phone to call Faith and tell her what had happened.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Bosco was jerked back to consciousness when he was thrown face first onto the cold, hard floor. He gasped as he was kicked in the ribs, instinctively curling into a ball. However, he was quickly jerked upright. He could feel his hands being cuffed together, the cold, hard steel biting into his flesh. His arms were lifted and attached to a pipe above his head. The men quickly left, leaving him alone. He took in his surroundings, noting that the room was cold and dank and virtually empty, except for some large pieces of machinery. His gaze was broken, however, when he heard footsteps approaching. He saw someone walking towards him but was unable to make out his or her features in the dimly lit room. It was only when the man stepped into the pool of light highlighting the center of the room that he was able to see him.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Krychek stood in the middle of the room looking down at his prey. "Mr. Boscorelli." He said, his cool voice echoing in the empty room. "We finally meet. I must say when I found out that you were interested in seeing me; I was quite surprised and intrigued. Although normally, I would have had one of my men dispose of you, I felt that we should meet in person. I wanted to see the man who has been so eager to make my acquaintance."  
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco spat at him. "I got your messages."   
  
  
A look of confusion quickly passed across Krychek's features before he dismissed what the police officer had said. "You know, I was quite surprised when I discovered that someone was asking questions about Mikey. I mean, why would anyone care about a piece of trash like him is beyond me."  
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco said, his teeth clenched in anger. "You're a real winner."   
  
  
Krychek smiled cruelly, choosing to ignore the remark. "You know, I have to say when I ordered the hit on your brother, I was very upset to find out that my men had left the job half done. I was so sure when I sent my best man to finish the job at the hospital, that he had gotten to your brother before he had a chance to open his mouth. After all, the news reports said that he was in a coma -"  
  
  
"You fucking bastard!" Bosco shouted, twisting against the restraints, the metal cruelly biting into his skin, thin trails of blood running down his arms, realization hitting him. Mikey didn't die in the hospital. He was killed. If Krychek's men hadn't gone to the hospital, Mikey might still be alive. Pure rage filled him as he continued to struggle.   
  
  
"Now, now Maurice." Krychek said, taunting the young officer before him. "Please, we don't want you to hurt yourself." He said, taking obvious delight in the police officer's reaction. "You know, I have to ask you, how the hell could two brother's be so different from one another? I mean here's one brother, a respectable police officer, helping to make the streets a better and safer place to live. And then you have your brother, a spineless, pathetic piece of trash who should never have been born. Tell me, how is that possible?" He asked mockingly, standing in front of the officer. Bosco tried to lunge towards Krychek, wanting nothing more than to kill the man with his bare hands. Krychek, angered that Bosco would make a move towards him, swung his arm back before making contact with Bosco's ribcage. Bosco gasped in obvious pain. Krychek then caught him in the face, satisfaction coursing through him as his blood splattered in the air, landing both on the floor and on his shirt.  
  
  
"Brass knuckles." Krychek said, stroking them in a loving manner. "Normally, I don't like to use them but this sort of called for a special occasion and I figured why not."  
  
  
"I swear to God you fucking bastard," Bosco spat out, " I will make you pay for what you did to Mikey. I swear -"  
  
  
"Oh, really?" Krychek said, obviously amused. "And just how do you propose to do that, huh? Face it, there's no one here to help you. You, Maurice Boscorelli," Krychek said, spitting out his name as though it were vile," Are completely and utterly alone and helpless, just like Mikey was when I had him dusted. My only regret is that I wasn't there to see it happen, although I did get to hear about it afterwards. Numerous times actually." He said, a cruel smile stretching across his features as he coldly took in the man chained before him.   
  
  
As Bosco lunged towards him once more, Krychek, angered at being confronted, began to hit him again. He swung at his victim repeatedly, both the crunch of bone and the splattering of blood invigorating him, causing him to hit harder and faster. He stopped only when the young man before him slumped unconscious, his body held up only by the chains supporting him, his head and face, soaked in blood, lolling to the side.   
  
  
"We'll just have to continue this when you wake up." Krychek said to the unconscious man before leaving the room whistling, his footsteps radiating throughout the abandoned building.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Bosco groaned in pain as he slowly swam back to consciousness, his head throbbing. He slowly opened his eyes, wincing as the sole light in the room caused his head to feel as though it was being split in two. He slowly looked around the room, trying to see where Krychek was, but his vision was blurry and he had to close his eyes once more. He could feel blood dripping down his face, the warm stickiness oozing from the gashes on his face. He felt bile rise up from within and vomited until all that was left were dry heaves. Tears stung his eyes causing his vision to blur further.   
  
  
"I see you're awake." Krychek said calmly as he approached his victim. "I must say I was getting rather bored."  
  
  
"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Bosco said through clenched teeth. Hatred filled his eyes as he took in the man who had so coldly taken away Mikey's life.   
  
  
"Yes, well," Krychek said obviously irritated, "Don't do it again. Now, where the hell was I before you so rudely interrupted me?" He asked, fixing cold eyes on his captive. "Ah, yes. I believe I was asking you how two brothers could be so different from one another."  
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco said, "And I was about to kill you." Krychek's mad laughter could be heard throughout the warehouse. "Oh, my." He said, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I must say that was amusing. However, I have to disagree with you there. You see Maurice, the only person who is going to die tonight, is you." He said, his face suddenly serious.   
  
  
"And I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Mikey."  
  
  
"Really? And how do you suppose you're going to do that? Face it, you're all alone. No one knows you're here. You are completely at my mercy. And, as amusing as this evening has been, rest assured that you will die tonight."  
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *   
  
  
"Hurry up, Gusler. I'm hungry." Faith said in exasperation as she quickly made her way inside the restaurant. It was 9:40 p.m. and she was starving. Normally she would have already have eaten, however, the day had been extremely busy and this was the first opportunity they'd had to eat. She was not only hungry and tired but she was also frustrated with Gusler. She silently prayed that the next two weeks would go by quickly so that she could be partnered with Bosco once more. She saw Sully and Davis sitting in one of the booths near the window and quickly waved as she made her way towards them.  
  
  
"Hey." Sully said, surprised to see her.   
  
  
"Hey, yourself." She told him, a smile stretching across her face, happy that she wouldn't have to try and make small talk with Gusler for the next hour. "Did you guys just get here?" She asked them as she took in the lack of food on the table.   
  
  
"About a few minutes ago. It's been crazy today. We didn't have time to eat until now." Davis told her. He nodded towards her and Gusler, urging them to sit down.   
  
  
"Yeah. Same here." Faith told him.   
  
  
"So." Sully said as they waited for the waitress to come and take their order. "How are things with Bosco?" He asked her quietly as Davis and Gusler were deep in their own conversation. Or, rather Davis was. Gusler was simply nodding his head, looking as uncertain as ever.   
  
  
"He's good." Faith said quickly, wanting to change the subject when the beeper she had recently purchased went off. She checked the number and frowned when she failed to recognize it. "Excuse me." Faith said as she got up and went to use the pay phone.  
  
  
Sully and Gusler were just about to order their drinks when Faith came running towards them, a frantic expression on her face. "Faith?" Sully asked when he saw her racing towards them. "What's wrong?"  
  
  
"I don't have time to explain, Sully." She said breathlessly. "I just got a call from the detective I hired and Bosco's been kidnapped."   
  
  
It took Sully a few seconds for the words that Faith had just uttered to register. "What? How -" Sully stumbled, clearly confused. Faith noticed that Gusler looked just as surprised.   
  
  
"Look, I don't have time to explain it right now, but his life is in danger and I have to help him -"  
  
  
"What's going on?" Davis asked as he made his way back to the table, having left to go to the washroom. He took in her frantic appearance and glanced towards his partner.   
  
  
"Bosco's been kidnapped." She blurted out.   
  
  
"What?" He asked in disbelief. "Is this like a joke or something? Cuz if it is, I gotta tell you man -"  
  
  
"Where is he?" Sully asked, having already risen from his seat. Faith quickly recited the address Detective Meyers had given her.   
  
  
"Well, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go." Sully said as he made his way out the front door.   
  
  
"Shouldn't we notify the Captain or radio it in to dispatch?" Gusler asked, trying to catch up to everyone.  
  
  
"No!" All three shouted in unison as they ran towards their squad cars. They took off seconds later, light and sirens blaring.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Krychek slowly pulled out his gun, the light reflecting off of the cold, hard steel making it seem even more lethal and sinister. "Well, Maurice," Krychek said as he looked at him, "As much fun as this night has been, it's time for us to say goodbye. Any last words?" He asked as he tightened his grip on the gun, relishing the feel of it, its heaviness reassuring in his hands. He waited a few seconds but when only silence greeted his ears he shrugged in nonchalance. "No?" He asked as he took in his captive. "Very well, then. It's been fun. Be sure to say hello to Mikey for me." 


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Test of Time (12/12)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.   
  
Rating: R for language and violence  
  
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)  
  
  
Author's Note: Well, I loved writing this story and I'm sorry to see that it has finally come to an end. However, I am currently working on two other stories. I will post the first chapter of one of them within the next few days. I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as they did this story. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews :) Now, onto the conclusion.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
  
  
Bosco stared at his tormentor, desperately trying to remain conscious. Although the urge was strong to just give in to the darkness that was beckoning him, he refused to. If he was going to die, he was going to look his killer in the eyes. He was going to die with pride. Krychek calmly stared at the young officer who lay battered and bruised before him. He was about to press down on the trigger when he was interrupted by two of his men entering the warehouse, dragging an unconscious man with them.  
  
  
"Who the hell is that?" Krychek asked as he took in the middle-aged man lying by his feet.   
  
  
"No idea." Jase said, kicking at the body. "We found him lurking around out back." He said, referring to Detective Meyers.  
  
  
"Who the hell is he?" Krychek asked, spinning around angrily to glare at Bosco who was desperately trying not to lose consciousness.  
  
  
"I don't know." Bosco gasped, still in obvious pain from the beating he'd received earlier to the abdomen and face.   
  
  
"Don't fuckin' lie to me!" Krychek screamed as he hit the officer again. "You have five seconds to tell me who the hell he is before I blow his brains out."   
  
  
Bosco desperately tried to clear his vision as little pinpricks of light danced before his eyes. He could hear Krychek's question but it felt as though he was underwater, everything sounded distorted and distant. He shook his head in a feeble attempt to clear his vision before answering. "I don't know -" Bosco managed to say but was interrupted by Krychek as he calmly shot the man in the head, blood and brain matter splattering across their feet.   
  
  
"Too late." He said simply, staring at Bosco who was clearly shocked.   
  
  
"Now, let's try this again." He said calmly, standing face to face with Bosco.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
"This is the place." Faith told them as she, Gusler, Sully, and Davis slowly made their way towards the abandoned warehouse.   
  
  
"Where's the detective?" Sully asked her, noting that the place looked deserted.   
  
  
"I don't know." Faith told him, quickly scanning the area but failing to see him.   
  
  
"If this is the place we can't get in by the front." Davis remarked as he nodded towards the garage door that was clearly closed.   
  
  
"Then we go by the back." Faith said, making her way past the other officers, her gun drawn. Quietly, they made their way to the back of the building, weapons drawn out in front of them. Faith quickly signaled for everyone to stop as she noticed two men speaking in hushed tones as they slowly made their way towards the back door. Deep in conversation, they failed to notice the police officers hiding in the shadows. Faith waited until they were inside before continuing onward. She heard Sully call for backup. She made her way to the back door and sighed in relief when she realized that it was unlocked. She said a silent prayer that Bosco was still alive before going in.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
"Now, who else knows about me?" Although his features were blank, his eyes flashed in anger.   
  
  
"You leave her the hell alone." Bosco hissed, thinking of Faith. "I swear to God, if you touch her -"   
  
  
A look of confusion flicked across Krychek's face but before he could ask any more questions Derek and Matt, two of his new recruits, interrupted him. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked them, anger and confusion strewn across his face. The two men quickly took in the scene before them.  
  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Derek asked, noting the dead body on the ground and the bruised and battered man chained before him.   
  
  
"Never mind." Krychek said, "A better question is what the hell are you guys doing here?" He asked as he swung his gun in their direction.  
  
  
"Hey, easy." Matt said. "I forgot my wallet." He quickly exchanged a look with Derek. The brief distraction was the opportunity that Faith, Sully, Gusler and Davis were looking for as they quickly entered the room.  
  
  
"Police!" Davis said as he aimed his gun in their direction.   
  
  
"Put your weapons down." Sully said, taking in the scene before him. Jase and Kenny quickly spun around, weapons drawn and didn't hesitate to fire. The police officers, seeking shelter, quickly jumped behind some of the heavy pieces of equipment lying around the room.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Bosco stood in the middle of the room, unable to move, and watched as shots were exchanged. He saw Sully and Davis across the room, both were busy exchanging gunfire with the two perps who had kidnapped him. He vaguely saw Faith taking shelter behind a piece of machinery, waiting for an opportunity to open fire. However, his gaze was quickly diverted when he saw Krychek raise his weapon and take aim at him. He could feel the scream well up in his throat but was shocked into place.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Faith hid behind the meat grinder, seeking shelter from the hail of bullets that were flying across the room. She peeked around the corner and spotted Sully and Davis as they shot at the drug dealers before quickly ducking behind the grinder as a bullet whizzed by her face, imbedding itself in the concrete wall in front of her. She took a deep breath before peeking over the machine once more. What she saw made her heart stop. She could see a man standing before Bosco oblivious to the gunfire going on around him, a man who she instinctively knew to be Krychek. She watched as he swung his gun around to face her partner, who was chained and beaten in the center of the room. Her eyes focused on the blood marring his flesh before jerking back to Krychek. She saw him raise his gun at her partner, his face a mask for fury and pure hatred. She froze in fear, her only thought that Bosco was about to be killed before her very eyes. Do something, dammit! Her mind screamed. She shook her head, forcing her brain and body to work but she was frozen in place. Finally, after what felt like hours, although it was only mere seconds, she raised her weapon and was just putting pressure on the trigger when the unthinkable happened.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
Bosco stood frozen, his gaze focused solely on the gun thrust towards him. He thought that he might have seen Faith watching him but he couldn't be sure. All he could see was the man who had killed Mikey, the man who was about to kill him. Bosco said a silent prayer begging his mother to forgive him and grieved in the knowledge that she would be burying another son so soon after the first. Just as Krychek was putting pressure on the trigger, however, Bosco noticed one of the men that had walked in just moments before shoot Krychek in the back of the head, his blood splattering across his face. He stood there stunned, unaware that their backup had arrived. It was only when he saw the rest of the drug dealers being placed into police custody that he finally allowed himself to be pulled once again into the peaceful abyss.   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
"Explain it to me again." Bosco asked his partner later that night as she visited him in the hospital, after filling out the ton of paperwork back at the precinct. Bosco had suffered several broken ribs, a concussion, a fractured cheekbone, and numerous cuts and bruises to the face that had required stitches. He was being kept in the hospital for observation and, although he would have normally put up a fight and demand to be released, he was just too tired.   
  
  
"Well," Faith said, recounting the story for what felt like the hundredth time that night, "Those two guys who came in later, you know the ones that said they had forgotten their wallet, they were actually undercover police officers who were tracking Krychek for some time. They were also the ones who had left us those notes trying to scare us away. They didn't want us messing up their case."  
  
  
"How did they know we would be there tonight?" Bosco asked.  
  
  
"They didn't. They were planning on scoping out the place, seeing what they could find out. Krychek never trusted them. He always felt that there was something off about them but he could never find any dirt on them to justify his fears. So, he kept them pretty much in the dark about everything. The other two, Jase Stolts and Kenny Rodriguez were his trusted allies. They were also the ones who killed Mikey and Charlie." Faith said softly.  
  
  
"Why didn't they arrest Krychek when he had Charlie and Mikey killed?" Bosco asked, referring to the undercover police officers.   
  
  
"Because they didn't have any proof. Krychek never told them what his plans were although they did suspect he was behind it. They knew that if they arrested him it would never hold up in court. Krychek would be acquitted for lack of evidence and leave the state, maybe even the country.  
  
  
"He's dead now." Bosco said softly, more to himself than to Faith.   
  
  
"Yeah." She said softly. "He's dead. You did it Bos. You brought Mikey's killer to justice.  
  
  
"Then why aren't I happy?" He asked her, looking down at his hands.  
  
  
"Give it some time to sink in." Faith told him, sadness filling her, her heart breaking to see her partner in so much pain.  
  
  
"Yeah." Bosco said. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really tired." He told her, eager to be left alone.   
  
  
"Yeah." Faith said, quickly getting up. "Take care of yourself. I'll come by tomorrow morning to see you."  
  
  
"Faith." Bosco called out as she reached the doorway leading out into the hall.   
  
  
"Yeah?" She said softly, looking at her partner.   
  
  
"Thanks for everything. For helping me research Krychek, for hiring a detective to follow me." Bosco said, thinking of the dead man who had given his life and saved his. If Faith hadn't hired someone to watch after him he would surely be dead tonight.  
  
  
"No problem." She said, a sad smile on her face. "Get some rest and take care of yourself. Get better soon. I don't know how much longer I can work with Gusler and remain sane." She joked. A small smile stretched across Bosco's lips. Although it only lasted a second, it was the first real smile he had in a very long time.  
  
  
"I will." He promised as he watched her leave. He had every intention of getting some real help. He needed to find some meaning in his life again. He was tired of feeling lost.  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
  
"Maurice, I'm scared." Mikey said, gazing up at his big brother. I don't wanna go. Tommy Jenkins said that he was going to beat me up after school today." Mickey said, starting to cry.  
  
  
"Don't worry, Mikey." A young Bosco said, staring down at his younger brother. "I'll take care of it. I'm you're big brother, I'll always be there to protect you no matter what. I won't let anyone hurt you ever."   
  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~   
  
  
The lone cry of a seagull broke his thoughts as he gazed down at the newly erected headstone indicating the place where his brother lay buried. "God, I'm so sorry, Mikey." Bosco whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you like I promised I would. I failed you, please forgive me." He said, breaking down for the first time since Mikey's death, his sobs radiating throughout the deserted cemetery. Alone in his thoughts and memories, he failed to notice the approaching footsteps. He jerked when he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. He spun around and surprise registered on his face as he saw his mother standing before him. She quickly enveloped him in her arms, her heart breaking at the sight before her.   
  
  
"Oh, baby." She told him sadly, " I'm so sorry. I was an idiot for blaming you. What happened to Mikey wasn't your fault." She told him, pulling away and gazing sadly into her son's eyes. "You couldn't be around 24/7 to protect him, Maurice. The truth is that Mikey chose his life. This was the path that he took and as much as I want to deny it, the truth is that sooner or later, something like this was bound to happen." Bosco opened his mouth to object but his mother cut him off before he could speak. "No, it's the truth Maurice and deep down you know it's true, too. Mikey was my son and I loved him. I'll always love him. He was a good boy but he got caught up in the wrong crowd." She said, her voice cracking with emotion. She stared at her eldest son, sadness reflecting in her eyes. "Maurice, honey, I was an idiot." She told him, her own eyes welling up with tears. "Can you forgive me?"  
  
  
Bosco stared at her a few seconds before enveloping her in his arms. They stayed that way for several minutes before breaking apart. They stared down at the grave before them for a short while before quietly walking out of the cemetery, hand in hand.  
  
  
  
End 


End file.
